(2021-11-17). FBI & CDC investigate 'smallpox' vials at big pharma facility — media. rt.com 
The FBI and CDC have launched a probe after several "questionable vials" labeled as "smallpox" were discovered in a freezer at a lab near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to an alert obtained by Yahoo News. | The 15 mysterious vials were found on Tuesday night at a Merck laboratory,
(2021-11-17). Headlines for November 17, 2021. democracynow.org Pfizer Seeks Approval For COVID Pill, Agrees to Deal To Make it Available in 95 Poorer Countries, Record Flooding Kills One Person, Displaces 1,000s in British Columbia, Climate Activists Disrupt Operations at World's Largest Coal Port For 11 Straight Days, Jury in Rittenhouse Trial Enters Second Day of Deliberations, Medical Examiner Says Ahmaud Arbery Shot at Close Range as Prosecution Rests Case, Julius Jones Set to Be Executed on Nov. 18 Unless Clemency Granted, Despite Evidence of Innocence, U.S. and China Agree to Hold Nuclear Talks, Burmese Coup Leaders Levy New Charges Against Aung San Suu Kyi; Freed U.S.
(2021-11-17). Nasal vaccine for Alzheimer's to be tested on people. rt.com 
A Boston hospital will conduct human trials to test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine to counter Alzheimer's disease next month. It will mark the first clinical trial of a nasal vaccine for the dementia-causing disorder. | In a
(2021-11-17). Fauci Says Booster Shots May Become New Definition of Being Fully Vaccinated. truthout.org 
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, issued a warning Tuesday that breakthrough cases of COVID-19 for people who are vaccinated may increase during the winter, and that the best way to prevent such outcomes might be expanding who is eligible for a booster shot of a vaccine. | Fauci, who made the comments during a pre-taped interview for the 2021 STAT Summit this week, said that, while unv…
(2021-11-17). "This TA is an insult": ÔªøÔªøKaiser health care workers respond with outrage to sellout contract announced by unions. wsws.org Workers report being blindsided by Saturday's announcement, which also canceled a strike by 32,000 workers in Southern California which had been scheduled to begin Monday.
(2021-11-17). What's in the Kaiser tentative agreement? wsws.org The unions that comprise the Alliance of Health Care Unions are pushing for a "yes" vote on a tentative agreement with Kaiser that does nothing to address health care workers' grievances but promises lucrative payouts to the union bureaucracy.
(2021-11-17). "This TA is an insult:" ÔªøÔªøKaiser health care workers respond with outrage to sellout contract announced by unions. wsws.org Workers report being blindsided by Saturday's announcement, which also canceled a strike by 32,000 workers in Southern California which had been scheduled to begin Monday.
(2021-11-17). 'Reckless' FDA and Big Pharma Greed Blamed for Medicare Premium Hike. scheerpost.com 
By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams Medicare Part B recipients will soon be hit with one of the biggest premium increases in the history of the government program, a hike driven in large part by the Food and Drug Administration's scandalous approval of a costly—and, according to many experts, dubious—Alzheimer's drug. "Medicare's inability to negotiate lower drug prices means that Big …
(2021-11-17). US state representatives vote to compensate 'vaccine-related injuries' due to mandates. rt.com 
The Idaho state house passed legislation that would enable people to receive workers' compensation if they fall ill due to a mandated Covid-19 shot, with the bill finding bipartisan support in the Republican-dominated state. | Approved overwhelmingly in a 67-3 "If the empl…
(2021-11-17). Workers At HelloFresh Speak Up Against Anti-Union Scare Tactics And Dangerous Conditions. popularresistance.org Facing unlivable wages, higher-than-average injury rates, and a union-busting campaign, workers at two HelloFresh factories are pushing forward union drives. If successful, workers would form the first union in the nation's growing meal-kit industry. Around 400 workers in Aurora, Colorado are currently casting votes, which are set to be counted on November 22. Another 850 workers in Richmond, California will receive ballots by November 18. In a petition to the company, workers say that while HelloFresh "profited from the pandemic, employees faced disrespect, a COVID-19 outbreak, and preventable injuries."
(2021-11-17). The eco-politics of the sublime: nature, environmentalism, and Covid-ecology. mronline.org 
A conception of the sublime, liberated from its racist, sexist and domineering classic form, should form a part of any ecosocialist imaginary.
(2021-11-17). Drug overdose deaths in US hit all-time record. rt.com 
A record 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. The soaring death count was driven by the availability of highly toxic fentanyl and social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Some 100,306 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in the 12 months leading up to April 2021, according to
(2021-11-17). The world stands with Cuba. peoplesdispatch.org 
The US-backed counter-revolutionary protests planned for November 15 in Cuba fell flat as the Caribbean country reopened its borders to tourists and its schools on the same day. The Cuban people blatantly rejected being a part of the US destabilization attempt and proved that they are more concerned about the reopening of the economy and the return to normalcy after a year and a half of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | A small number of people in a few cities took to the streets as a part of the "Civic March for Change", called for by an NGO called Archipiélago in 10 cities across Cuba. Videos shared…
(2021-11-17). US School Bus Drivers In Nationwide Strikes Over Poor Pay And Covid Risk. popularresistance.org Strikes, walkouts, protests or sick-outs among school bus drivers have taken place this fall in many states including North Carolina, New Mexico, Maryland, Florida, Indiana, Georgia Pennsylvania and New York among others. Some school districts have periodically closed schools due to bus driver shortages or changed school schedules to accommodate the shortage. Other districts have raised pay and offered sign-on bonuses to try to lure workers into vacant school bus driver positions.
(2021-11-17). Profit instead of science: The German government's COVID-19 policy. wsws.org A letter signed by dozens of prominent scientists and sent to Germany's federal government sharply criticized the political establishment's failure to prevent mass infection and deaths.
(2021-11-17). Economía mundial, el riesgo de una tormenta perfecta. globalizacion.ca Cuando las economías se hundieron a causa de la Covid-19, los líderes políticos y los economistas de los grandes organismos internacionales decían que no se sabía cuándo llegaría la recuperación pero que, una vez que comenzara, las economías registrarían una…
(2021-11-17). COVID-19 Cases Rise In the US Amid Sustained Vaccination Push. telesurenglish.net White House advisor Anthony Fauci warned that COVID-19 cases are starting to climb again in select regions across the U.S. after stabilizing at a high level following this summer's surge of the Delta variant. | RELATED: | "The only thing that's a little bit disconcerting is that we're beginning to plateau," Fauci said addint that "the deceleration of cases is now plateaued, and in some areas of the country, we're starting t…
(2021-11-17). Canada admits aerosols are major source of COVID-19 transmission after nearly two years of denying it. wsws.org Canada's government has hitherto dismissed the role of aerosols in COVID-19's spread, because to do so underlines the reckless and homicidal character of its drive to "reopen" the economy in the midst of a deadly pandemic.
(2021-11-17). Governments reject pandemic controls amid record COVID-19 surge in Europe. wsws.org Only a struggle by the working class to impose scientific policies to eliminate the virus can end the current massive surge of deaths.
(2021-11-17). Honduras: Specialists Warn Pandemic to Worsen After Elections. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, the College of Microbiologists President Marco Moncada warned that Honduras will face a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic after the Nov. 28 elections. | Related | Even though the incidence of COVID-19 maintains a downward trend in this Central American country, authorities fear that a "fourth wave" might be imminent. A high concentration of people during the election will likely cause an increase in…
(2021-11-17). Fourteen consecutive weeks with more than 100,000 cases of COVID among US children. wsws.org In its latest update, the American Academy of Pediatrics noted that more than 122,000 US children were infected with SARS-CoV-2 over the past week, a 22 percent rise from two weeks ago.
(2021-11-17). Mounting pressure on China to abandon its zero-COVID policy. wsws.org Amid all the talk in the media that it is impossible to eliminate COVID-19, the experience in China demonstrates the opposite. Elimination is possible, but only if carried out on a co-ordinated international basis.
(2021-11-17). Major staffing shortages at schools throughout the US due to COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org As a result of widespread infections and a mass exodus of teachers from the profession, roughly 40 percent of all district leaders describe their current staff shortages as "severe" or "very severe," according to a recent survey.
(2021-11-16). 35,000 Us Healthcare Workers Avert Strike. popularresistance.org Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare providers and hospital networks in the US, reached a tentative agreement with an alliance of unions just two days before a historic strike. The four-year agreement includes pay raises and measures to address understaffing, while withdrawing a two-tier pay system that would pay new hires up to a third less than current workers. In the next few weeks, workers will vote to ratify it and continue to work as scheduled.
(2021-11-16). Why Are Moderna's Billionaires Airbrushing Scientists Out of the Vaccine Patent Picture? scheerpost.com 
By Sam Pizzigati / Moderna, the world's hottest new Big Pharma giant, now has four of its top players sitting on the annual Forbes list of America's 400 richest. In early 20…
(2021-11-16). Manufactured Cruelties: Belarus, Poland and the Refugee Crisis. southfront.org 
Click to see full-aize image | Written by Dr. Binoy Kampmark | Refugee crises are often manufactured by governments. They can be done at the source: war, famine, rapacious institutions. They can also be manufactured by the refusal of governments to accept those seeking asylum, sanctuary and refuge. | The latter is very much in evidence in Europe: governments of the European Union are staring down desperate humans keen to travel into the EU; Belarus, engaging in its own form of mega-trafficking, has become a cond…
(2021-11-16). Extreme Temperatures from Climate Change Will Harm Workers. cepr.net Policies aimed at addressing the harms of climate change on labor must consider the economic impacts, such as decreased labor productivity and monetary economic losses, and the harms to workers' health.
(2021-11-16). India Reports The Lowest COVID-19 Contagions in Nine Months. telesurenglish.net India on Tuesday reported 8,865 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest figure recorded in the last 287 days. | With these statistics from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has accumulated 34,456,401 contagions since the disease broke out in January 2020. | Meanwhile, 1…
(2021-11-16). Cuba Enters New Normal With Mask Mandates. telesurenglish.net Bernardo Sosa, a Cuban national residing in the United States, was happy to be back on the island after 20 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | He was among passengers who arrived at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport as Cuba has entered a new normal period following the government's announcement of its success in controlling the spread of the disease. | RELATED: | Sosa, who lives in Florida with his family, t…
(2021-11-16). If Mandated Medications Cause Harm, Employers Could Face $1 Million In Damages. moguldom.com A Republican senator in Oklahoma wants to give residents in his state some recourse if employer-mandated medications cause them harm. Sen. Rob Standridge filed Senate Bill 1106 on Nov. 12, commonly known as the Citizen Health Mandate Protection Act. If signed into law, it will make employers liable for up to $1 million in punitive …
(2021-11-16). China's Xi outlines vision for relations with US in 1st virtual sit-down with Biden. rt.com 
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged for closer ties and improved cooperation with the United States during his first formal meeting with President Joe Biden, but said that any change in relations must be based on mutual respect. | The two leaders sat down for virtual talks on Monday to discuss a range of issues, with both Xi and Biden opening the meeting on a cordial note. Calling his US counterpart an "old friend," Xi argued that a "healthy and stable" relationship is needed to address global challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, noting that he would like to steer US-China ties in a "positi…
(2021-11-16). President Diaz-Canel: Cuba Is a Peaceful Tourist Destination. telesurenglish.net On Monday, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero highlighted the work by health and scientific personnel, who made it possible for the country to receive tourists and travelers safely. | After November 15th, the "Biggest of the Antilles" is opening borders for international tourism. Our turism industry is ready to welcome you in a safe and healthy Cuba. #CubaEsSegura #CubaIsSafe…
(2021-11-16). How Public Health Took Part in Its Own Downfall. zcomm.org The field's future lies in reclaiming parts of its past that it willingly abandoned…
(2021-11-16). Australian big business and anti-lockdown movement unite against state government's pandemic bill. wsws.org The hysterical campaign is directed against any, even minimal, public health measures, amid the profit-driven reopening of the economy.
(2021-11-16). More states sue Biden's White House over Covid-19 vaccine mandate. rt.com 
A dozen states have filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden's Covid-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, arguing the administration is trying to "federalize public health policy." | Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed this week, include attorney generals for the states of Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia. | The lawsuit blasts the Biden administration for "playing statutory shell games with the courts" and "straining to justify an unjustifiable and unprecedented attempt to federalize public health policy and diminish the sovereign States' const…
(2021-11-16). Concerning New Covid Variant Spotlights Dangers of Vaccine Apartheid. zcomm.org "This variant exemplifies that if you leave some of the world's population without access to vaccines, then the virus will continue to multiply and it will lead to more variants."
(2021-11-16). Vaccine capitalism: Moderna takes public money, demands private profit. liberationnews.org 
Despite the ongoing need for emergency action to address the pandemic, pharmaceutical giant Moderna is focused on asserting its property rights over the COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna would like to take full credit — and profit — for the vaccine's invention.
(2021-11-16). Massive COVID Surge Rattles Europe, Putting US at Risk Ahead of Thanksgiving. truthout.org 
Trump fans who spend their days yowling about the tyranny of face masks and vaccine mandates should look up from grubbing in the right-wing news trough and encompass what is happening in Austria. "Under new rules announced by the government on Sunday,"
(2021-11-16). Selected Articles: New Zealand Tells Schools to Phone the Police if Unvaccinated Staff Show Up. globalresearch.ca 
By Any staff member who hasn't had the COVID vaccine by November 15th who tries to enter school grounds will …
(2021-11-16). US Entangled In COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Dispute. telesurenglish.net As the cold days set in, the United States is again seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases, though deaths and hospitalizations trend lower, while the federal government's vaccine mandate consistently faces legal challenges and resistance. | RELATED: | The seven-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 80,885 nationwide on Sunday, with its 14-day change striking an 11-percent rise. COVID-19-related deaths were 1,13…
(2021-11-16). Saving Capitalism or Saving the Planet? dissidentvoice.org The UK government's Behavioural Insights Team helped to push the public towards accepting the COVID narrative, restrictions and lockdowns. It is now working on 'nudging' people towards further possible restrictions or at least big changes in their behaviour in the name of 'climate emergency'. From frequent news stories and advertisements to soap opera storylines and …
(2021-11-16). No Times Square NYE celebration for unvaccinated. rt.com 
Those planning on celebrating New York City's iconic New Year's Eve party in Times Square will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid or provide proof of a negative test to join in on the festivities. | Mayor Bill De Blasio announced on Tuesday that crowds will be allowed back into Times Square this year to ring in 2022 — but there will be strict Covid-19 vaccination guidelines in place. | De Blasio said the city wants to invite "hundreds of thousands of folks," as long as each one is inoculated against Covid-19. | "Join the crowd, join the joy, join a historic moment as New York City provides further…
(2021-11-16). Canada heads toward deadly winter surge of COVID-19. wsws.org Every Canadian province and territory is either in the midst of a deadly upsurge of COVID-19 or teetering precariously on the brink of one.
(2021-11-16). A comparative analysis of COVID-19 and the flu highlights the immense dangers of the pandemic. wsws.org The facile equation of COVID and the flu made by right-wing politicians are lies on both sides of the comparison. The flu is nothing to trifle with, but COVID is infinitely worse, a brutal killer with incalculable consequences even for those who survive its initial ravages.
(2021-11-16). Leaked "Operation Rampdown" document insists nothing will be done to stop spread of COVID in UK. wsws.org The Mail on Sunday 's exclusive featured a picture of a face mask being burnt and commented that the plans "will be hailed by business owners".